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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bass — low music
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stock — shares
  5. tear — from crying
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. row — to paddle
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a line
  12. snap — to click
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — goods
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com